Just for Tonight
by carla304
Summary: Damon spends Christmas Eve with Elena. She agrees to be nice for the evening. Cue eggnog and bonding.  I can't summarise to save my life, so sorry!  For a Secret Santa post. Yes, it's OLD. Just put it up now for whoever's interested :


**Title: Just for tonight**

**Pairing: Damon/Elena**

**Rating: T**

**Genre: Romance**

**Prompt: Damon tries to give Elena the perfect Christmas present.**

**Summary: Damon spends Christmas Eve with Elena. She agrees to be nice for the evening. (I can't summarise to save my life, so sorry!)**

**Words: 3454**

**Notes: Ahem. Well, I wrote this story last year November and posted it on an lj comm for a Secret Santa thing. But the post was anonymous (hence the "Secret" part) and I figured once the writers were announced in January I would post it of just so anyone interested could see it under my name. Well, that clearly didn't happen. Anyway, the other day I came across it again, and am about to start writing again (hooray!) so I figured what the hell, may as well put it out there for the world. So here it is, faaaar behind the recent episodes, and especially for you **

****Also, this story is goes by the assumption that Rose died, and that Damon really did compel Elena to forget.**

The doorbell rang.

"Elena, could you get that," said Jenna, pulling the turkey out of the oven.

"Sure," said Elena. She tossed the lettuce into the salad bowl. "Stefan said he'd be over soon."

She made her way to the door, quickly checking her appearance in the hallway mirror. The doorbell rang again, twice, in quick succession.

"Hang on, Stefan!" she quipped. His impatience was starting to work on her nerves. She yanked the door open.

"Nope. One better," smiled the dark haired man on her doorstep.

"Damon," she said simply. She hadn't seen him for a while. Since Stefan had been freed from the cave all her time had been taken up. And with the death of Rose, she figured Damon wasn't really up to seeing anyone.

"I understand I'm unbelievably attractive, but it really isn't polite to just stand there staring."

She wasn't sure whether she wanted to laugh at or hit him. As usual, she opted for coldness.

"What do you want, Damon?"

"It is Christmas Eve," he said, stepping closer "I wanted to eat, drink. Make... merry," his eyebrow quirked at the last bit.

She shivered and stepped back slightly.

"Where's Stefan?" she asked, her voice still blunt and unfriendly.

He smiled.

"Well, Malibu Dracula got her little blonde curls in trouble again, and you know Stefan. Never could resist blue eyes and tears. As usual, I'm the designated babysitter. Now, when are you going to invite me in?"

She remained silent. He sighed and stepped forward again, his face now only an inch away from hers.

"Oh, that's right. I don't need permission anymore."

He stepped around her, his shoulder brushing hers lightly.

"Merry Christmas, Elena."

* * *

><p>"Oh, is Stefan not coming?" asked Jenna, her concentration pulled away from the food to look at Damon.<p>

"No. Unfortunately my little brother had some things to attend to. He sends his apologies. I don't blame him, this food looks great," said Damon, his voice smooth and charming. "I don't mean to impose, but I don't really have anywhere to go this evening, so would you mind if I joined you?"

Jenna looked doubtful.

"Well, we do have an extra space now. I don't mind…" she drifted off, staring questioningly at Elena.

Elena looked up from the sink at Jenna, and then back towards Damon. His face was impassive, as if he didn't really care about her answer. But she knew it would hurt him if she said no, and besides, it would be nice to have some young company, since Jeremy was with Bonnie.

And, though she would never admit it, she had missed _his_ company recently.

She turned back to the sink.

"It is Christmas," she said, focusing hard on the tomatoes she was rinsing, "Sure, you can stay."

"Great," said Damon clapping his hands together, "Is there anything I can help with?"

"I'm taking all the food to the table, and Alaric's setting everything up," said Jenna, "But you can help Elena with the salad."

She left the kitchen.

Elena turned around and put the tomatoes on the table.

"You cut and I'll start cleaning up."

They worked in silence for some time, Damon looking up every once in a while to check if she was done. She didn't turn her back from the sink, and eventually he walked over and turned her to face him.

"I'm sorry for being sharp with you just now," he said, looking directly into her eyes, "Christmas isn't exactly the merriest time of the year for us."

_And you were expecting me to be Stefan._

He looked down.

Elena swallowed, not sure how to go on.

"Damon," she said softly, "I _want_ us to get along like we used to. It was easy with you back then. Even though you irritated the hell out of me."

He looked up and smiled.

"But," she said, before he could interrupt her, "I can't just forget the past, or what you've done. You hurt me, and I know I've said some things you didn't want to hear, but every time I look at you, all I can think about is…"

She drifted off, turning her head to look out the window.

He took a deep breath, and turned her chin with his finger so that she was looking at him again. He pulled it away quickly as not to upset her, ignoring the usual spark of warmth he felt when he touched her.

"I'll make a deal with you then," he said, smiling, "Just for tonight, we'll pretend we're old Damon and Elena. You don't despise me, and I didn't do anything stupid."

Her eyebrows rose, and he smiled.

"Okay, I didn't do anything _that_ stupid. Then, tomorrow you can go back to hating my guts, and I'll be all sullen and aloof. Deal?"

She opened her mouth, and then closed it again, deliberating what her answer would be.

"Besides, I _have_ been guilted into babysitting you this evening and God knows the last thing I need is another awkward, silent Christmas. Why I didn't stay home with Stefan."

For a second she looked irritated, but then her face broke into a smile.

"Fine!" she said, playfully pushing him away from her. She needed the space to think clearly anyway. "Just for tonight."

* * *

><p>"…you would think she'd have realized we'd stuffed the cakes into her bag!" gasped Jenna, before falling into a fit of giggles.<p>

"Okay, sweetie," said Alaric pulling her up from the armchair, "That's enough wine for you."

"'Night, you two," said Elena, smiling at them as they left the room.

She and Damon were left sitting in the lounge, a fire burning in the grate in front of them. She rested her head against the back of the couch. His arm was slung across it behind her, and she liked the way it made her feel. Safe. Protected.

_Just for tonight,_ she reminded herself for what felt like the hundredth time. She shook her head slightly.

"I can't believe she was talking about college again!" she sighed, closing her eyes, "He makes her so happy."

"Hmm, I can't believe she managed to fit an orange in her bra," said Damon. "I think I may need some proof of that."

She smacked his chest and looked up at him.

"That's my aunt you're talking about," she said in mock disgust.

"I didn't say I wanted to see _her_ bra," he said raising his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"Ugh, I'm going to bed," she said, starting to push herself off the couch.

"Wait," he said, pulling her back down next to him. "I got you something."

He started rummaging around in his pockets, and pulled out a small box wrapped in newspaper. He handed it to her.

She examined the box for a while before shrugging and sitting back, curling into his side and leaning against him.

"Damon, if I'd known you were getting me something…" she trailed off, starting to pull off the paper.

"Hmm?" he said. He had become momentarily distracted by the warmth of her small body pressed against his.

_Voluntarily touching me_. That was new.

She pulled off the last of the paper and stared at the box in front of her. _Premium Cuba Cigars._

"Er, thanks?" she said.

"Don't be unusually stupid," said Damon, rolling his eyes. "Open it."

"Oh," she said, feeling silly. She shook the box next to her ear, hearing nothing. She shrugged and opened it. Inside was some tissue paper, which she pulled back to reveal a ring. Her fingers trembled slightly and she froze in horror. Damon scoffed, picking up on her erratic heartbeat.

"Calm down, I'm not proposing. It's just an old ring of my mother's that I found while I was in the attic. I figured it wasn't Stefan's color, so maybe you might like it."

She regained composure and picked up the ring. It had a thick band that was intricately decorated with silver feathers. Enclosed by the feathers was a large, rather unattractive, green-brown colored stone.

"Thanks," she said hesitantly, "The stone is very-"

He cut her off.

"Ugly. Yes, I know…"

He turned on the lamp next to him and, after taking it from her, positioned the ring under the light.

"…until you shine light on it."

She leaned over him and took it, looking to see what he meant. She gasped softly when she saw the effect. Wherever the light hit it, it turned a bright shade of electric blue.

"It's the same color as your eyes," she murmured without thinking, turning it this way and that.

He stared at her for a while, for the thousandth time wishing that he didn't think she was the most incredible creature he had ever come across. She turned her head to face him, and was surprised to see such an intense expression on his face. He looked down quickly, and after a while, he spoke.

"My mother used to say that. That's why it was her favourite" his voice was soft and deep, grating ever so slightly when he mentioned his mother. He cleared his throat.

"The stone is labradorite. They all do that in light. If you don't want it, I may as well sell it..."

She looked at him for a long time. The fire and the lamp cast shadows under his eyes. She looked down at the ring and the explosion of blue inside of it. When she brought her eyes back to his face, he was staring at her intently, the icy color in his eyes mirroring that of the stone.

Without saying anything, and without breaking his gaze, she slipped the ring onto her right hand. His eyes followed the movement, and then he smiled brightly and looked back up at her.

"What do you say to making this eggnog a bit more interesting?"

* * *

><p>One hour and three shots of Jenna's peach schnapps later, the fire was dying out and Elena was leaning her head on Damon's chest. They stared into the fire as he absent-mindedly stroked her hair. She sniffed.<p>

"You know, it's going to be a lot harder to go back to hating you than I thought," she said, laughing without humour.

"So don't," he said simply, smiling into her hair.

She paused and then pushed herself up to look him in the eyes.

"I want to," she sighed, "But that would mean forgiving you for what you did, and I'm still not sure if I can."

They stared at each other for a long time; she trying to think past the alcohol and the warm feelings she had around him; he wondering how he could have been so stupid as to screw up what they had. She broke the connection first, and leaned her head back against his shoulder.

"Tell me something about when you were a kid," she asked.

He sighed dramatically and started to ramble on about an old cow they had once had. She wasn't really listening, but enjoyed the sound of his voice and the feeling of the vibrations in his chest as he spoke.

"…and I used to walk all the way back up the hill with the buckets," he said softly, walking his two fingers up her leg and across her stomach. She giggled and bent over.

"What?" he asked, not sure what he had done.

"Sorry, that tickled," she said.

His lips curled into a mischievous grin, and his eyes sparkled.

"You haven't felt ticklish," he said. And he grabbed her and pulled her over, his fingers scrambling over her skin. She laughed even harder, and rolled away across the couch. He followed her.

It wasn't till she was gasping for breath and begging him to stop that his hands stilled. They were on either side of her head, her hands gripping his wrists. His legs were on either side of hers, their faces about five inches apart. He suddenly became aware of how close they were to each other.

She continued to laugh quietly as she regained her breath, but after a while she noticed his eyes roaming over every inch of her face, as if memorizing each detail. Her eyes drifted towards his lips, which were slightly parted. She suddenly felt as though a cloudy haze was clogging up her brain, the same feeling she got when swallowing strong alcohol. The heady beating of the blood in her head seemed to be muddling everything and pulling her towards him. She knew the feeling well, and had to distract herself quickly.

"What are you thinking?" she blurted out, unable to come up with anything else.

His eyes shot back up to hers from where they had been scanning her body hungrily.

"Wow," he said gruffly, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to stop himself from thinking about the way she felt pressed against him. He was losing control over himself. But he couldn't stop. "Uhm, I'm thinking I never realized I could want something so badly?"

She swallowed, her heart racing even faster. He heard its beating and could almost feel the thick, hot, sweet liquid pumping through it. He felt his own veins constricting, the blood rushing to his head. He felt the familiar prick of his fangs in reaction to his thirst.

Seeing his eyes redden, she smiled triumphantly. She had found her distraction.

"Thirsty?" she said teasingly. He opened his eyes and stared into hers, until the red haze had disappeared from his vision. He smiled.

"Just wondering, if I drank from you now, would I get drunk?"

She wriggled underneath him in displeasure. The movement had the opposite effect on him.

_Distraction._

"It's not so bad, you know," he said coyly, "The pain of the bite, I mean."

"I know," she said simply.

Right. Stefan.

He felt the pang of jealousy twist inside him, but because he wanted to hurt her he carried on.

"Hmm, and how did it feel drinking from him?"

"I didn't," she said, staring him down. She sensed that she had hurt him, and knew he would try and get her back. That was Damon. Normally she would be offended and would fight back. But not tonight.

"You're the only one whose blood I've drunk,"

_Not intentionally,_she added in her head.

His expression changed to shock, before he rearranged it to be neutral again. He couldn't help feeling slightly victorious. They lay there in silence for a while. Eventually, she felt she had to break the tension somehow.

Smiling conspiratorially, she turned her head, keeping her eyes on his, and gently bit his wrist. His eyebrows shot up before he smiled and examined the mark she had left behind. The indentations of her teeth were branded in his skin.

"This," he said, indicating the marks she had left, "Is pitiful."

He bent his head, so his mouth was next to her ear. He heard her gasp softly.

"I bite a lot harder," he whispered. He heard her heart as it raced even faster, and he smiled, lightly brushing her cheek with his lips. He brought his head up slowly to look her in the eye.

She was staring at him through heavily lidded eyes, her gaze unfocused. Very slowly, she leant up to him, and pressed her lips against the indentation under his ear, before nibbling his earlobe lightly.

"Care to test that theory?" she purred, before grazing her teeth across his jaw.

His eyes rolled back slightly as heat flooded through him. It felt as though his head would explode. Her small, warm body lay underneath his. Every curve of her moulding to fit perfectly against his. He had craved the way she was making him feel and he basked in the moment, knowing that too soon it would be over; she was intoxicated, not thinking straight and what he was doing was wrong. He wasn't worthy of any part of her.

But they had _never_ been so close.

He closed his eyes, and it used all his strength to pull himself away from her and back into a sitting position. He rubbed his forehead with his hands, trying to rid his mind of thoughts he should not have about her. She remained where she was for a while, until her breathing had returned to normal. She sat up and turned to him.

"Well, that was…" she fumbled for a word. He looked up at her. "Different?"

He laughed sourly and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Without thinking, she leant her head into his hand. He froze and then left it there, admiring the way her skin heated under his touch. Staring at the ruffled angel in front of him, he wondered what would happen next, and whether it was possible for him to be more pathetically in love with her.

"It's going to be so bad to hate you in the morning," she said sadly, her eyes shining.

He swallowed, not wanting her to be in so much pain. No matter how much it hurt him. He slid his hand down her throat slowly, feeling the bumps form on her skin as he brushed over it. His hand came to rest next to her pendant.

"If it would be easier," he said, not looking at her, "I could make you forget tonight, you would just think that-"

Suddenly her hand slapped his away from her throat, and she grabbed hold of his chin and forced him to look at her. He felt his skin prickle under her fingers.

"Don't you _dare_," she said softly. Her voice was cold and there was a menace in it that he had never heard there before.

Despite being the stronger of the two, he quelled under her stare. He felt guilt flood through him.

_I didn't ask your permission the last time._

But he smiled and put his hands up in surrender. The anger disappeared from her face as swiftly as it had appeared. She smiled back at him and curled into his side again.

* * *

><p>He felt something hit him in the chest. He woke up, startled.<p>

Elena was twisting and turning, mumbling something in her sleep.

He could see the first rays of sunlight filtering through the window. The night was over; he shouldn't be there anymore.

He started untangling himself from her arms, but as he was about to move away, a small hand fisted in his shirt and held him there.

"No, Damon, don't!" she said, her voice so strong he thought she may have woken up.

His heart sank. She was having a nightmare about him. He prepared himself to leave, when she cried out again, louder this time.

"Why? _Why_did you do it?"

He stood up and turned around, hating himself for whatever he had done to make her cry out like that.

"Damon," she called out again, her voice clear this time, as though she was speaking to him normally. He turned to face her sleeping form. She started whimpering, her voice turned bitterly sad.

"Please, Damon, _please_?" she begged. "Please, let me remember. I have to remember. I know what you told me, but _I have to remember!"_

And then it hit him. Although he had made her forget, consciously, her sub-conscious mind still knew. Knew the most shocking, selfish and wonderful truth he had ever told.

Minutes later, he walked out the front door. But not without leaving her real present.

* * *

><p>Elena woke with the sunlight streaming through the window into her eyes. Jeremy had thrown a pillow at her on his way in, and he ducked out of the lounge laughing before she could react.<p>

She sat up slowly, feeling the slight tug of an impending headache behind her eyes. She caught sight of the fireplace, now empty, and the previous night flooded back to her.

She groaned, flopping back down. She felt something scratching at her finger. She examined her hand, and saw the ring Damon had given her. In the Sun, it was almost completely blue. Tucked between the ring and her finger was a small roll of paper. She pulled it out and unravelled it, reading the short message. Her brow furrowed as she thought hard about the previous night, trying to understand what the note meant, but she struck blank. She looked back down and read it again.

_Elena,_

_One day, you will._

_Fin._


End file.
